Protection
by Nova Mirage
Summary: For a moment, he stared at the sleeping figure in the bed. Soon, everything would be alright. Things would be so much better. After tonight, no one would be able to hurt Amy ever again, and therefore, him. /Warning: Character Death


**Disclaimer: I don't own the 39 Clues and never will.**

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Ian watched the redhead from his perch on a tree limb outside her window. She looked cheerful as she twirled about the room, presumably to music. A small grin graced her features. The teenage girl was completely oblivious to the boy staring at her.

Then again, it was pitch black outside, not to mention cold.

But Ian stood his ground against the unpleasant chill and the inconvenience of the darkness. It would all be worth it.

The British boy had been keeping track of her. And nearly every Saturday night, Amy was awake at some unearthly hour, just dancing about her bedroom. He'd never understood it, but he always watched her, waiting for his opportunity.

But never had the timing been perfect. That is, until now.

Amy was finally alone. Her brother had gone off to spend the night with his friend Atticus, and their odd au pair was away learning cooking techniques from a Madrigal who also happened to be a professional cook. So the jade-eyed girl was all by herself.

It seemed as if everything was falling into place and the odds were with him for once.

Unconsciously, the raven haired boy grinned. Things had never worked so well for him.

With a final spin, Amy stopped dancing. She opened her window to let in the cool night air, her flushed cheeks glowing in light of her room. The girl scratched the back of her head, thirsty from the exercise. Amy left her room to go get a drink of water, closing the door behind her.

Ian's grin widened. Everything was going precisely as planned. Cautiously, he crept along the branch to the open window. Thankfully, the limb was long enough to reach the aperture. Before he entered the room, he felt his belt to make sure that he still had the item. It was vital to his strategy. Luckily, it was still secured in place.

The first thought he had as he glanced around the room was that it was very quaint. The light blue walls were clear of any decorations, save a few pictures of Amy and Dan. The bedspread was simple, made of what Ian assumed was cotton. He'd always detested the fabric. There was a nightstand beside the bed, a dresser pushed up against the wall opposite of the bed, and a small closet in the right corner of the room. Naturally, there was a large book shelf overflowing with books.

He shook his head. The room was exactly what Amy would like. It was a fitting place for what was going to take place. Ian froze as he heard footsteps in the hallway. He mentally cursed; he'd spent far too long gazing about the room. Not wanting to waste any more time and get caught, he hid in the first place he could think of: the closet. Immediately, he regretted it.

Not only was it cramped in there, but it was an extremely lame hiding spot. But there was no way to change that now; he would have to deal with the unsatisfactory place until he could move on to the next part of the plan.

Ian listened as the bedroom door opened and closed. There were some shuffling sounds, a few thumps, and the light in the room outside of the closet went out. A sound that was a mixture of a creak and a squeak came from what Ian guessed was the mattress as Amy lay down on it. Obviously, it was either very old or of poor quality. Perhaps it was both.

As soon as he heard her breathing even out, he quietly pushed the door to the closet open. For a moment, he stared at the sleeping figure in the bed. Soon, everything would be alright. Things would be so much better.

After tonight, no one would be able to hurt Amy ever again, and therefore, him.

He slid the item out of its spot, making a sharp noise. Ian's breath caught, and he watched Amy to see if it had disturbed her. She slept peacefully on. He exhaled in relief, his muscles relaxing a bit. But in his consolation, his grip on the item loosened. It fell to the floor with a clatter. Ian muttered a curse and dropped to the ground to retrieve the item as Amy stirred. He had hoped she would be asleep when he completed his task, but either way, it had to be done.

As he reestablished his hold on the item, the girl sat up in bed. She gave the person on the floor a confused look. "Ian, what are you doing here?"

He tackled her, covering her mouth. "I'm protecting us."

Amy struggled and bit his hand to the point that blood came to the surface of his skin.

"Now, now, no need for that," Ian tutted. "I expected better of you than to bite me."

She looked around frantically, but she couldn't see a way to escape.

"Just listen to me. Everything will be better. You won't be able to be hurt or betrayed by anyone."

She winced at the crazed look in his eyes. Amy had never seen Ian like that. But then again, he hadn't been the same since Natalie's death.

"Not only that, but I won't have anything left to lose. It's such a simple solution."

He pressed the tip of the item to her chest, right above Amy's heart. "It will make both of us happy."

Her eyes grew to the size of saucers as she saw the knife he had pressed against her.

"All I have to do is kill you."

Ian plunged the knife into her chest. A strangled noise escaped from her, audible through his hand.

He pulled the blade back out and wiped it on one of her sheet, watching as blood gushed from her wound. He watched as her eyes dimmed, the life draining from them. He pulled a small pouch from his belt and opened it. Then, very carefully, he used the knife to remove her eyes from her skull and placed them into the pouch.

After all, he had always found their color beautiful. Not only that, but it would remind him of his good deed. He touched the pooling blood, admiring its crimson color.

"You're welcome, Amy."

With that, he sheathed the knife and fled the Cahill mansion.


End file.
